Cloth label singulating method and apparatus



April 30, 1968 M. E. LARSON ETAL 3,380,731

CLOTH LABEL SINGULATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1966 INVENTOR. MZV/A/ A4550 0 o 641% M SA/A'VE/Q PM BCQW'W United States Patent 3,380,731 CLOTH LABEL SINGULATING METHQD AND APPARATUS Melvin E. Larson and Carl W. Shaver, Grand Rapids,

Mich, assignors to Rose Patch Label (Iornpany,

Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 527,013 11 Claims. (Cl. 271) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for and method of singulating stacked porous articles of the cloth label type by a controlled flexing response of the exposed center portion of the endmost label supported on its ends to suction means con-' trollably spaced therefrom, to flex such from its plane into engagement with the suction means, and by then retracting the suction means to pull the ends of the endmost label free from the stack. The apparatus automatically singulates successive labels as each previously singulated label is removed from the suction means, by using a constant bias of the suction means toward the label stack and a periodically applied vacuum operated bias of the suction means away from the stack and actuated in response to the presence of a label on the suction means to overcome the constant bias and retract the label from the stack, so as not to return to the stack until the label is removed from the suction means.

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for singulating porous cloth labels from a stack of cloth labels, and more particularly relates to a vacuum type, cloth label singulating method and apparatus.

In the manufacture, processing, and printing of the many millions of cloth labels used annually for attachment to garments, almost all operational steps are performed on the labels while still in the form of a continuous tape, since once the tape is severed into separate labels, handling of the labels becomes extremely difficult. Thus, severance of the tape is delayed as long as possible. In fact, certain operations which really should be performed on the individual separated labels are now performed on the label tape. For example, clothing labels having a common printed trademark and design on them must be designated with variable size indicia depending on the garments to which they are applied. Preferably, this printing of size data should be performed on the individual labels by the garment manufacturer at his place of business, depending upon his needs. However, presently he must ask the label manufacturer to do this on the tapes.

Eventually, the tape must be severed into individual cloth labels for attachment to garments. Problems then occur because the individual cloth labels cannot be conveniently separated from the stack of cloth labels by any known equipment or method, except manually, i.e., by the use of ones fingers.

The manual method has many disadvantages. More specifically, many problems are encountered when garment manufacturer employees sew the individual labels onto the garments. Customarily, the girl places a stack of the labels next to her sewing machine and grabs one off at a time to sew it on. Commonly the labels fall off the stack, fall on the floor, are frequently inverted and turned end for end, so that the girl must tediously get hold of a label, look at it to get it properly oriented before she can sew it in place. This is time consuming and tedious. Some more efiicient girls actually place a series of labels in their mouth to try to cut down time lost. While this speeds the process, it is hygienically undesirable and can 3,380,731 Patented Apr. 30, 1968 'ice even lead to mouth infection due to the chemicals in the treated, dyed cloth labels.

Because of these and other factors, the inventors herein decided to try to solve the label handling problem by providing a vacuum type singulating unit. Since such devices have been used in the art of handling paper sheets to pick off the top sheet and transfer it to another station, they tried to use this type of prior device. When the inventors tried to employ these conventional paper handling vacuum techniques on cloth labels, however, a peculiar problem was encountered which rendered these known techniques completely unusable for cloth labels. More specifically, it was found that when the suction means engaged the end cloth label in a stack of labels, and then withdrew to pull off the end label, instead of only one label being separated, several labels were constantly pulled off together. Moreover, the number of labels which would be pulled off by the suction means would vary greatly, particularly with different size and different type labels. Such paper handling mechanism and techniques were therefore useless for cloth labels.

Experimentation and analysis were conducted by the inventors in efforts to try to find the cause of this peculiar problem and to devise a solution for it. It was determined that the porosity of the cloth label, normally composed of woven or knitted fibers, is a key factor. More specifically, since cloth labels are relatively porous, and since their porosity can vary greatly depending upon the nature of the weave, the size of the fibers, the chemical treatment given to the fibers and so forth, the pressure differential from the suction means does not only occur across the thickness of the endmost label in the stack, but rather occurs over several labels, and the number of labels varies greatly. The number of labels which would be removed each time was found to be rather unpredictable because of varying porosity.

Therefore, an apparatus and a method were developed specifically for singulating porous cloth labels, not using the conventional sheet engaging technique, but rather utilizing a special controlled flexing action of the label by controlling the spacing of the suction means with respect to the central portions of the cloth label while supporting and retaining the end portions of the label in a particular manner. The purpose .of this is to efifect an initial partial separation of the endmost label from the stack, to draw it to the suction means by itself, and a subsequent complete separation of the endmost label by movement of the suction means.

It is an object of this invention to provide a unique apparatus for singulating porous cloth labels from a stack of cloth labels by causing controlled flexing of the endmost label in the stack.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cloth label singulating apparatus employing vacuum and having a unique flexing action on the center of the endmost label and support retention of the edges of the label in a special manner, allowing complete removal of only one label at a time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cloth label singulating apparatus that automatically affects reliable singulation of individual cloth labels from a stack by the use of a controlled retention of the cloth label ends in the stack coupled with controlled spacing of a specific suction means with respect to central portions of the label in the stack, to draw and flex only the end label sufficiently away from the stack to engage the spaced suction means, and then Withdraw the suction means to pull the label away.

Another object of this invention is to provide a high speed, automatic vacuum, cloth label singulating apparatus that eliminates the present necessity of manual separation of individual cloth labels, and singulates the labels in a reliable, continuous fashion into a convenient position for manual or machine pick off as for sewing attachment to garments or for size printing, for example. Moreover, the apparatus is adaptable to cloth labels of different porosities, different sizes, and different types. It enables the individual labels to be conveniently grasped without having to look to see where it is, or what orientation it has, Further, once a label is picked off the singulating device, the device instantly singulates another one and holds it until it is picked off. Yet, the device is relatively simple and inexpensive even though capable of all these functions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a unique method of singulating individual porous cloth labels from a stack of cloth labels, using a special controlled flexing action of each individual end label, with controlled spacing of suction means specifically positioned with respect to the center of the cloth label and controlled edge support of the labels in the stack.

These and several other objects of this invention will become apparent upon studying the following specification in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of the novel apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the apparatus taken from the right side of the view in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the apparatus, taken in the direction indicated by the arrow III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one side of the magazine and retainer means, taken in the direction indicated by the arrow IV in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5' is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional view of a portion of the device,

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the complete assembly includes a horizontal support platform which may be mounted on a plurality of feet 14 if desired, and supporting an upstanding support column or plate 16 on one side. Column 16 mounts the diagonally slanted label magazine. The magazine includes a rearwardly slanted back plate 18, and a pair of L-shaped label guides 20 and 20', one leg of each forming parallel side walls 20a and 20a. Members 20 and 20' are attached to plate 18 by bolts 22 and 24 which extend through slots 21 and 21' in the respective second legs of members 20 and 20'. Slots 21 and 21' are elongated laterally to enable members 20 and 20' to be adjusted toward and away from each other to accommodate varying lengths of cloth labels.

The stack S of cloth labels is retained in this generally vertical, rearwardly slanted magazine by a pair of lower end retaining members 26 and 26' on opposite edges of the lower end of the magazine chute. These extend toward each other into the label outlet space between walls 20a and 20a, to have a spacing therebetween less than the spacing between walls 20a and 20a, and thus less than the length of the individual labels L forming stack S. The stack of labels is thus supported on members 26 and 26' by having the ends of the labels rest thereon. In the illustrated form of the device, the magazine is vertical in order to employ gravity as a biasing means to bias the stack toward and maintain the lowermost label against the discharge end of the magazine.

Obviously, the magazine may be oriented in other fashions, e.g., at horizontal or near horizontal, if suitable biasing means (such as a spring) is used to bias the stack toward the discharge end, Members 26 and 26 are adjustably movable toward and away from each other, independently of walls 20a and 26a, by being connected to a pair of fixed mounts 30 and 30 with a slot and bolt connection, e.g., bolt 32 and slot 34 between member 26 and support 30 (FIG. 4). This adjustment enables the spacing between them to be varied, which enables different porosity labels and different type labels (e.g., endfold or centerfold) to be accommodated with the apparatus.

Beneath the magazine for the cloth labels is suction means, preferably in the form of an elongated finger 50 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on shaft means 55, specifically on bearing sleeve 53 thereof. Sleeve 53 is supported on inner sleeve 57 and held against outer fixed support portion 52 by bolt 54. This finger assembly includes a front portion 50b having suction port outlet means 56 on the upper surface thereof, oriented toward the stack of labels, and communicating through an internal finger passage 51 and a passage 53 in shaft 52 to vacuum hose 58. This connects to a vacuum system that includes a vacuum pump 60 (represented schematically), and a throttling control valve 62 between the Pump and the device.

Attached to the rear end finger portion 50a that extends on the opposite side of the pivot shaft is a fluid cylinder 70. The opposite end of cylinder 70 is pivotally connected to plate 16. The upper end of the cylinder is connected pneumatically by fitting 57 and tube 59 to a T fitting 61 into vacuum tube 58. Thus when a substantial vacuum exists in tube 58, it operates through tube 59 to cylinder 7 0 to retract it and apply an upward biasing force on end 50a and a downward biasing force on end 50b of finger 50 to pull it away from the bottom of the label stack. In opposition to this intermittent biasing force is the generally constant biasing of a tension biasing spring 63 extending between a flange 65 on the finger and support plate 16. This biases end 50b of finger 50 toward the label stack. Arcuate movement of end 50a down and up causes end 50b to move up and down, respectively, toward and away from the label support plane formed by the upper surfaces of members 26 and 26' i.e., the bottom plane of the lowermost label L' in stack S. A suitable resilient stop 66 may be placed beneath finger 50 to deaden its lowering engagement.

An exactly controlled stop means or movement regulating means forming an essential component of this apparatus as applied to porous sheets is provided. This may be mounted to platform 12 as shown by stop 68 beneath finger lever end 59a to control the exact final, limited position of the finger upper surface and suction port means 56 from the label plane of support means 26 and 26'. This upper surface is purposely stopped at a spaced distance of an exactly controlled amount from this plane. This spacing has been found to be about A; inch, plus or minus, depending on the label characteristics. The spacing may be varied slightly using knurled knob 68a for adjustment of the threaded stud 68 in plate 12. A knurled locking knob 686 or the equivalent may be used to lock the studtype-stop once its exact position is set no matter what the adjustment to suit the particular cloth label, the suction means must always be stopped at a definite spacing from the support plane and from the end label. Instead of the adjustable stop being mounted to plate 12, it can be attached to the back of plate 18 as shown in phantom at 68', using a fixed collar 69, for abutment with the upper surface of end 5% instead of the lower surface of end 50a. Adjustment and locking would be obtained with knob 68a and 6812, respectively.

In the operation of the apparatus, when practicing the novel method, a stack S of labels is placed in the magazine. The weight of the stack biases the end portions of the lowermost label against the upper surfaces of elements 26 and 26', so that these elements apply a return biasing force against the end portions of lowermost label L, to retain it against the stack S.

Plates 2% and 20' are adjusted toward or away from each other to form a smooth unrestrained sliding and guiding action for the label stack, being close enough to the end edges of the labels to maintain them in aligned relation. With the vacuum pump 60 operating, suction is applied to suction port means 56 on the upper surface of finger 50. The air flow through port means 56 allows spring 63 to overcome cylinder 70, pivoting the front end of finger 50 upwardly, and the rear end downwardly to 1) press it against control stop 68. The front end is elevated to within a definite spaced distance from the plane of the lowermost label L in the stack S.

It has been found that with each different type of label, i.e., end folded or fiat, knitted or woven, tightly woven or loosely woven, chemically treated or not, as well as with each variation in size and thickness, the porosity and flexing characteristics of the individual labels vary. Thus, trial and error adjustment of the position of stop means 68, and the spacing of plates 26 and 26' is made. If the finger approaches the labels too closely, this setting of the stop means is the most important, but is affected by the amount of suction force applied. The amount of suction force is determined by the rate of potential air flow through the suction means, which varies with the size and number of parts 56 and the amount of the vacuum on the system as controlled by valve 62. If the finger ap proaches the labels too closely, more than one of the bottommost labels will be sucked down and flexed so that the device will not act properly as singulating means. On the other hand if the finger does not approach the labels sufliciently close, or if the members 26 and 26' are providing too much retention for the labels, the lowermost label L will not fiex downwardly sufiiciently to engage the suction means. The object of the apparatus and the method is to use the suction means at a controlled spaced distance from the lowermost label to draw its centermost portion downwardly in a flexing action (as shown in FIG. 3) suflicient to cause the label L to engage the finger, while retaining the end portions of the label biased against the remaining labels in the stack, to thereby partially separate label L from the others. This allows air fiow to the upper surface of the lowermost label and down through its porous structure to the suction ports 56 of finger 50. A pressure differential is created across it to hold it, so that once this action has occurred, the finger may be withdrawn by actual physical movement with its lowering, to further flex the label sufliciently to pull its ends out from between the stack and plates 26 and 26'. Once the label is free from the magazine, its inherent resiliency causes it to re-assume its previous fiat form. This completes the separation or singulation of this label from the remaining labels of the stack.

This operation actually occurs very rapidly, i.e., in a fraction of a second, so that the labels can be singulated at an extremely high rate.

With the preferred form of the novel device, the action is also automatic. More specifically, when end 5% of finger 50 is in its lowered position and has no label on it, the open ports 56 allow air flow through to tube 58 and fitting 61 to allow the pressure to increase sufliciently through tube 59 to cylinder 70 for spring 63 to overcome the biasing force of cylinder 70. Thus, end 50b is pulled up to its controlled spaced relation to the plane of label L to flex it as shown in FIG. 3. Although the small amount of air flow through flexed label L covering ports 56 is suificient to necessitate finger 50 to be spaced to prevent engagement with label L while still in its plane against the stack, still the flow is too small to prevent vacuum buildup in the line. The increased vacuum in tube 58, tube 59 and cylinder 70 creates a biasing force sufiicient to overcome that of spring 63, causing finger 50 to move away from the stack and pull label L out of the magazine. Moreover, the finger stays in its lowered position until label L is pulled off, as by the fingers of a girl sewing labels on garments, or by a pair of mechanical fingers of a size-printing machine or the like. Thus, a girl sewing the labels on garments can reach over and pick off a label, without looking, knowing where it is and that it is properly oriented. As soon as it is picked off, the intermittent biasing means 70 is released to allow the constant biasing means 63 to shift finger 50 to pick up another label, thereby causing means 70 to be reactivated to place the next label in the same place and holds it there for removal at the choice of the person or machine picking it off.

It should be realized that the magazine may be shifted to the finger, rather than vice versa. In fact, this alternative has been tried and found operative, although the shifting of the finger is preferable since it can be moved very rapidly without any tendency to upset the stack S. Other various modifications in the preferred construction illustrated may be made within the concept presented, depending on whether the device is used by itself or as an integral portion of a complex machine. Hence, it is intended that the invention should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonably equivalent structures and methods to those defined therein.

We claim:

1. Cloth label singulating apparatus for separating one porous cloth label at a time from a stack of cloth labels, comprising: a label stack magazine having a discharge end and a pair of opposite, spaced, label edge guide means; label retention means in a plane at said discharge end having a central outlet with a width less than the spacing of said guide means to overlap the opposite end portions of the end label in the stack; label separator means including suction means; support means mounting said suction means with a connection allowing said suction means to be relatively shiftable with respect to said magazine to enable relative movement of said suction means near to and away from said plane, at said central outlet, and thus near to and away from the central portion of the end cloth label of the stack; and movement limiting control means cooperable with said label separator means and suction means to limit the spacing of said suction means with respect to said plane to a controlled spaced distance therefrom to cause said suction means to controllably draw and flex only the end cloth label thereto while the label end portions are retained by said pair of retention means, and then with relative movement of said suction means away from said magazine, to cause only the flexed end cloth label to be pulled out of said stack.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 including vacuum passage means to said suction means, also including vacuum operated, intermittently acting, releasable biasing means pneumatically connected to said vacuum passage means and operably connected to said label separator means to bias the latter away from said plane when activated, and including constant biasing means operably connected to said label separator means to bias the latter toward said plane; said releasable biasing means being activated only when said suction means engages a label to thereby increase the vacuum in said vacuum passage means and said vacuum operated biasing means, and having a greator biasing force than that of said constant biasing means only when so activated.

3. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein: said movement regulating means is adjustable toward and away from said label separator means to allow variation of the amount of movement of said suction means toward said plane and thus of said controlled spaced distance to accommodate cloth labels of varying size, type, and porosity.

4. The apparatus in claim 3 wherein said suction means includes a finger means shiftable directly toward and away from said plane and having suction port means toward said plane, and said movement regulating means is a threadably adjustable stop means engageable with said finger means.

5. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein: said magazine is fixedly supported, and said suction means is shiftably mounted to move directly toward and away from said plane.

6. The apparatus in claim 5 wherein: said suction means includes variable vacuum regulating means.

7. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein: said pair of edge guide means are adjustable toward and away from each other to accommodate labels of different length and main- 7 tain them aligned in a stack; and said pair of retention means are variably adjustable toward and away from each other to accommodate labels of different size, type, and porosity by varying the flexing capacity thereof.

8. A method of singulating individual cloth labels from a stack of cloth labels comprising the steps of: supporting a stack of cloth labels with the endmost label in a plane, and biasing the opposite end portions of the endmost label against the stack while leaving the central portions of the endmost label exposed; advancing a suction means toward the central portions of the endmost label to a position spaced from said plane but sufliciently close thereto that the central portions of only the endmost label flex outwardly of the stack into engagement with the suction means; and then Withdrawing the suction means away from the stack to pull the flexed label completely away from the stack, while biasing the opposite end positions of the next endmost label against the stack.

9. The method in claim 8 including positively stopping said suction means at a definite pre-set controlled distance from said plane and said central portions of the endmost label to draw and flex the central portions into engagement therewith.

10. A vacuum type transfer mechanism for small articles comprising: a transfer element; support means mounting said transfer element; said transfer element being shifta'ble on said support means between an article receiving position and an article discharge position; fluid pressure responsive biasing means operably connected with respect to said transfer element to bias it in one direction between said position; second biasing means operably connected 8 with respect to said element to bias it in the direction opposite said one direction; vacuum connection and article retaining port means on said element; said fluid pressure responsive biasing means being operably associated with said article retaining port means to control operative fluid pressure on the former in response to presence and absence of an article on the latter; said fluid pressure responsive biasing means and second biasing means being preset to cause said element to be biased to said article receiving position in the absence of an article on said port means, and to be biased to said discharge position in the presence of an article on said port means.

11. The transfer mechanism in claim 10 wherein said fluid pressure responsive biasing means is vacuum operated to bias said element toward said discharge position and is pneumatically connected with said port means to increase the biasing force thereof when an article covers and is retained by said port means and decrease the biasing force thereof when said port means is not covered; said second biasing means is oriented to bias said element toward said receiving position and has a biasing force less than the increased biasing force of, but greater than the decreased biasing force of said fluid pressure responsive biasing force.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,816,760 12/1957 Seragnoli 271-20 RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner. 

